The OHSU Cancer Institute is a matrix cancer center at Oregon Health & Science University (OHSU) in Portland, Oregon. In 1992, OHSU president Peter Kohler, committed to developing excellence in fundamental cancer research in this University, appointed Graver Bagby, a clinician scientist focusing on molecular hematopoiesis, as founding director of what then became the Oregon Cancer Center. The president, vice presidents, provost, and deans have provided resources that have steadily increased since that time. A Cancer Center Planning Grant (P20) was awarded in 1994, and the first CCSG award (P30) was made in 1997 and was then renewed in 2000. There are now 118 members of four scientific programs (Cancer Biology, Hematologic Malignancies, Solid Tumors, and Cancer Prevention and Control) holding 81 NCI grants, seven well-established shared resources, and three recently developed shared resources. All of the members of the Cancer Institute support our founding core principle that basic cancer research forms the strongest foundation for clinical research projects in cancer treatment, prevention, and control. Therefore, all members seek translational opportunities in their work. Center members perform outstanding research, convert research findings into treatments and preventive agents, and design clinical trials to validate molecular targets in the clinic. More than half of the patients participating in treatment trials are accrued to investigator-initiated studies. Our successes in translational research have changed the practice of oncology, have changed operating principles of discovery research for anticancer agents, and provide a new model by which clinical trials are attended by molecular target validation studies. Some of our discoveries in the past funding period have passed quickly through development and delivery stages and represent FDA-approved and well-validated standards of oncology practice internationally. National and international multi-institutional phase III trials led by our members have established new standards for cancer treatment and prevention. In the past funding period, we have recruited more than 40 new members, 17 of whom were recruited as a part of our strategic plan for development of epithelial malignancies. Many are now funded by the National Cancer Institute (NCI).